Internet Censorship: A Map of Internet Censorship and Restrictions

More than 65 percent of the world’s population (5.5 billion people) uses the internet. It’s our source of instant information, entertainment, news, and social interactions.

But where in the world can citizens enjoy equal and open internet access – if anywhere?

In this exploratory study, our researchers have conducted a country-by-country comparison to see which countries impose the harshest internet restrictions and where citizens can enjoy the most online freedom. This includes restrictions or bans for torrenting, pornography, social media, VPNs, news media, and messaging/VoIP apps.

Although the usual culprits take the top spots, a few seemingly free countries rank surprisingly high. Due to ongoing restrictions and pending laws, our online freedom is at more risk than ever.

We scored each country on six criteria. The higher the score, the more censorship.

• Torrenting (2 points)
  • Restricted but accessible (1 point)
  • Banned and/or websites actively taken down (1 point)
• Pornography (2 points)
  • Restricted but accessible (1 point)
  • Banned* (1 point)
• Political media (2 points)
  • Restricted to some extent, e.g. some censorship (1 point)
  • Heavily censored, e.g. government-only channels available and/or journalists facing severe jail terms or being killed (1 point)
• Social media (3 points)
  • Some censorship taking place, e.g. people being served jail terms for content posted on social media (1 point)
  • Restricted, e.g. evidence of platforms being taken down during protests, school exams, etc. and/or heavy surveillance of the platforms (1 point)
  • Banned* (1 point)
• VPNs (2 points)
  • Restricted (1 point)
  • Banned (1 point)
• Messaging/VoIP applications (1 point)
  • Restricted, e.g. some platforms banned (often, government or state-owned telecom providers will have alternatives) (1 point)

*While certain websites, channels, and platforms may be banned, users may still gain access to them, e.g. via VPNs.

The worst countries for internet censorship

1. North Korea, China, and Iran (12/12) – Once again, China, North Korea, and Iran are at the top of the list with the highest score possible. Users in all three countries are unable to use Western social media or watch porn. News media is heavily censored and influenced by the government. They also shut down messaging apps from abroad, forcing residents to use ones that have been made (and are likely controlled) within the country, e.g. WeChat in China. Not only does WeChat have no form of end-to-end encryption, but the app also has backdoors that enable third parties to access messages.
2. Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkmenistan (11/12): In second place this year are Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Iraq, Turkmenistan, and Myanmar scrape back a point due to torrenting not being completely banned or shut down. Pakistan’s score of 10 is due to some VPNs being available there. Although Russia doesn’t ban online pornography, its score does increase this year due to new legislation, which was passed in March 2024. This further criminalizes the use and promotion of VPNs and follows the blocking of additional VPN services in August 2023. Iraq continues its control over the internet with various shutdowns (including on social media) during exam periods and protests. These shutdowns were witnessed across Myanmar and Pakistan during the reporting period, too.
3. Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (10/12): While scores in the UAE and Saudi Arabia remain unchanged, Egypt and Oman saw declines in this update. Despite Egypt being one of the world’s largest consumers of online pornography, porn is technically illegal there and attempts have been made to block many official pornographic websites. This has created an environment where the amateur porn industry has been flourishing. Meanwhile, social media channels remain heavily monitored and censored. Oman also upped its attempts to combat torrenting with various anti-piracy campaigns. Social media and VPNs are restricted but not completely blocked in Saudi Arabia. This is the same in the UAE.

Even though VPNs are technically blocked in some countries, some still work. Similarly, many censored websites create “mirror” sites to give access to people in restricted countries, but these are often blocked once authorities become aware of them.

Online censorship in Europe

• 21 countries have banned or shut down torrenting sites. A further 21 European countries have measures in place but aren’t actively blocking websites yet.
• While torrenting websites are often blocked in Spain (hence why it is classed as having shut down torrenting sites), rules do permit torrenting for personal use (downloading to view but not to upload or distribute).
• Belarus has a complete ban/block on pornography while Lithuania, Turkey, and Ukraine restrict it. Germany, France, and the UK have also increased their restrictions on online pornography by enforcing age-verification systems for online adult sites. France’s and the UK’s implementation of age-verification requirements for porn sites came into effect this month (January 2025).
• Political media is restricted in 21 countries, while two countries – Belarus and Turkey – heavily censor political media.
• No European countries block or ban social media but three do restrict it (Belarus, Turkey, and Ukraine). During the coverage period, hundreds of ordinary citizens in Belarus were imprisoned and thousands faced criminal or administrative penalties for their internet-related activities. Turkey and Ukraine were also found to monitor their citizens’ social media content. These three countries along with Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Latvia, and France were also found to have some level of surveillance/censorship across social media, too. For example, in France, a woman was arrested for insulting President Emmanuel Macron in a social media post, facing a potential fine of €12,000 ($13,100). And, in the UK, an increasing number of people are being arrested for their posts on social media.
• Turkey and Belarus also restrict the use of VPNs and VoIP/messaging services. In March 2024, Spain ordered a temporary suspension of Telegram after the application refused to comply with a court order but this was placed on hold pending further investigation. Turkey also restricts end-to-end encryption, requiring providers to hand over data/decrypt data.

Online censorship in North America

• Canada and the United States have banned or shut down torrenting sites, while Trinidad and Tobago imposes lengthy prison sentences for illicit media streaming.
• Cuba and the United States have restrictions for online pornography. In the US, several states (including Arkansas, Texas, Utah, and Virginia) have passed laws that require age verification for such sites.
• Four countries (Belize, Panama, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic) have some restrictions across their political media, while Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, and Nicaragua heavily censor it. For instance, during this update, attacks and legal threats against journalists increased in El Salvador, while in Mexico, five journalists have been killed since January 1, 2024.
• Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua impose restrictions on various social media platforms and users also face widespread social media surveillance. While there are no restrictions, as such, in El Salvador, authorities are known to monitor/censor social media posts.
• Cuba is the only country in North America to restrict VPN use.
• Messaging and VoIP apps are met with restrictions in Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, and Belize.

Online censorship in South America

• Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay actively block torrenting websites while the remaining countries have restrictions in place.
• Pornography is only restricted in Venezuela.
• News media restrictions have intensified across the continent, particularly in Ecuador, Colombia, and Paraguay. In Ecuador and Paraguay, journalists and the media frequently face threats, assaults, and attacks, sometimes resulting in murder. They are often targeted by both drug traffickers and authorities, and experience judicial harassment. Violence against journalists is common during protests, and most attacks go unpunished. Meanwhile, in Colombia, two journalists have been killed since January 1, 2024, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by media professionals in the region. In fact, every South American country, with the exception of Suriname, faces some form of media restriction.
• Venezuela continues to enforce social media restrictions and censorship, with authorities increasingly arresting ordinary internet users for comments made in WhatsApp groups or on social media. In recent years, Venezuelans have even been detained for simply recording unusual situations on the streets, highlighting the risks of discussing politically sensitive topics online.
• Brazil and Suriname have also seen social media restrictions. In Brazil, social media accounts and information have been reported to be blocked or deleted and the government proposed new powers that would help it combat ‘fake news.’ In Suriname, social media was restricted following cost of living protests.
• In addition to Venezuela, social media monitoring has been reported in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. Notably, in May 2024, Argentina’s Ministry of Security issued a resolution formally authorizing federal forces to cyber patrol open-source online information. The resolution also permits the use of AI tools to support these efforts.
• Venezuela is the only country to restrict VPNs, and some are blocked.
• Three countries restrict messaging/VoIP apps (Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela). In Brazil, Telegram was blocked for two days before it complied with a court order, and the cost of living protests in Suriname brought similar blocks.

Online censorship in Asia

• 22 Asian countries have blocked or banned torrenting sites. Qatar and Oman have increased their attempts to block websites in the last year.
• The majority of Asian countries have restrictions on online pornography (42 out of the 49 we covered) with 31 of these having full bans/blocks.
• News media is heavily restricted and censored in Asia. Only two countries–Taiwan and Timor-Leste–don’t impose vast restrictions. The majority of other countries (38 in total) are subject to heavy censorship.
• A large number (29) of these countries restrict social media platforms in some way. Nine countries go one step further and carry out frequent shutdowns or full bans across popular social media platforms. Bhutan, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste are the only Asian countries that haven’t been reported to monitor or censor their citizens’ social media content.
• Seven countries have full bans/blocks on VPN use (China, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Russia), and a further 14 impose restrictions. Additional VPN services were blocked in Russia at the end of 2023. In March 2024, the country enacted a law prohibiting websites from sharing information about VPNs or promoting their use. Shortly after, 30 web pages offering guidance on accessing banned social media platforms were blocked. The legislation also intensified penalties for using and promoting VPNs.
• Messaging and VoIP app restrictions are also commonplace in Asia with 23 countries implementing some form of limitation. The Israeli occupation has significantly limited Palestinians’ access to technology and network frequencies. Meanwhile, most VoIP services remain blocked within Israel itself.

Online censorship in Africa

• Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, and South Africa are the only African countries to actively shut down torrenting sites. Sudan blocks Peer-to-Peer websites, including BitTorrent, and Nigeria has enacted a new Copyright Act, further strengthening its anti-piracy laws.
• 23 African countries restrict online pornography. Eleven of these have full bans (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, and Uganda).
• The only African countries that don’t have widespread restrictions on news media are the Seychelles, Benin, and Botswana. But 25 heavily censor it.
• 38 of the African countries we covered implement social media restrictions but only Eritrea has gone so far as to continually block access to social media sites. However, 44 of the countries do employ some surveillance/censorship of these platforms.
• Egypt, Sudan, and Uganda are the only countries to restrict VPN use. Uganda did see some improvements but many are still blocked.
• Egypt is one of 12 African countries to restrict the use of messaging/VoIP apps. In this update, Morocco has lifted VoIP restrictions made on social networks including Skype, Viber, Tango, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.

Online censorship in Oceania

• Australia and New Zealand are the only countries to strictly enforce torrenting bans/blocks.
• Papua New Guinea is the only country with limitations on online porn (possession of porn is illegal there but online sites are available and widely used).
• Political media is restricted in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. Samoa did see improvements, rising from 45/180 to 22/180 in the RSF Press Freedom Rankings over the last couple of years. According to Freedom House’s freedom and democracy rankings, Australia has dropped from 27th to 39th place. Public figures, including politicians, frequently file defamation lawsuits against journalists and members of the public, particularly in response to unfavorable stories or online content.
• Ironically, while porn is not age restricted in Australia (yet), social media is. In late November, Australia made history as the first country to ban minors under the age of 16 from using social media. Fiji also warned residents not to express anything on social media that opposes some new local laws.
• None of the Oceania countries restrict the use of VPNs or VoIP/messaging apps.

See also: Best VPNs to watch Porn Anonymously

Will online censorship become the “norm?”

While it’s no great surprise to see the likes of China, North Korea, and Iran topping the list, the growing number of restrictions in many other countries is greatly concerning. This year we saw nearly 60 countries increase their internet censorship in some way, compared to 50 from last year’s study. Most of the new restrictions surround social media/apps, political media, and pornography.

With the growing introduction of age-verification systems in the likes of Australia, France, UK, US, and Germany and an increasing number of countries upping their social media censorship despite being relatively ‘free’ countries, our digital privacy is at increasing risk.

Thankfully, VPNs do still offer a way for many of us to surf the net privately (and legally). But as censorship becomes increasingly common, more and more countries could join the restricted list, leaving many unable to access the open web.

Methodology

To find out to what extent each country is censored, we studied what restrictions, if any, they impose across torrents, pornography, political media, social media, VPNs, and messaging/VoIP apps.

We scored each country on six criteria. Each of these is worth two points aside from messaging/VoIP apps which is worth one (this is due to many countries banning or restricting certain apps but allowing ones run by the government/telecoms providers within the country) and social media which is worth three points (to allow for the growing censorship on many platforms despite there being no specific restrictions or bans in place in many countries). The higher the score, the more censorship.

We noted pornography restrictions when OnlyFans had been banned or restricted in the country. In this update, three countries were added: the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Haiti.

In some cases, countries may be scored as having banned one of these areas, but residents may find ways to circumnavigate these bans, e.g. with VPNs or mirror sites. However, as the country enforces this ban by blocking websites or implementing laws, the country is scored as having banned it. On the other hand, if a country has brought in regulations to try and restrict or ban an area but users continue to be able to freely use these services/websites, the country is only scored as being “restricted” because the regulations/laws aren’t being enforced.

Data researcher: Danka Delić

Sources

Rsf.org

https://freedomhouse.org/

For a full list of sources, please request access here (stating your name and requirements).

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